BMJ Opinion: Kathleen Thomas: Hospital bombardment — the new weapon of war?
Kathleen Thomas, an intensive care doctor from Australia, discusses her experience witnessing the destruction of Médecins Sans Frontières’ Kunduz Trauma Centre in Afghanistan when it was hit by U.S. airstrikes on October 3, 2015. Thomas describes the “weaponization” of health care and the importance of public condemnation of the practice, writing, “If we remain silent about hospital attacks, we must acknowledge that we are complicit; and this new norm will continue to be tolerated. This makes the future of medical humanitarian work in conflict zones infinitely more difficult, if not impossible, creating an unbearable situation for our international colleagues and forsaking the needs of our patients…” (7/14).